Of Oversized shirts and Overbearing Fathers
by itslittleme
Summary: Jim just wanted some peace and coffee before starting the day. So why is it that he catches his eldest daughter sneaking home at an ungodly hour, in a shirt that's not hers?


Disclaimer: I do not own Terra Nova, or any of it's characters. No copyright infringement is intended.

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><p>After being a cop for over 20 years, Jim Shannon had learned to trust his gut. It didn't matter if it was a completely irrational decision or feeling – like that one time he walked in on Wash and Taylor doing... things – he would always be able to tell if something was off or a he was in danger.<p>

This morning was strange. It was early, and Jim was leaning against the island counter, his hands snug around a cup of coffee. He assumed that the children and his wife were in bed, and enjoyed the rare solitude he got away from his kids. Sure, he loved them more than anything, but playing fabric dinosaurs with a seven year old loses its attractiveness after a while.

Of course, some people don't mind, he thought bitterly. Reynolds was the perfect gentlemen; he was polite, courteous and had completely stolen the hearts of the Shannon women. He helped Josh get through his anger at his father a while back, played with Zoe and assisted Elisabeth in household duties. Worst of all, Reynolds had Maddy completely and utterly hooked.

Jim shifted slightly, preferring not to let his mind drift over that particular subject, or the images it brought with it. He knew that Maddy was responsible and trustworthy – but she was still a teenager.

At the sound of a door closing quietly, his head shot up, his senses heightened and 'Cop mode' - as Zoe liked to call it - switched on. Stealthily moving around the room, Jim prepared himself for the offensive, getting ready for anything that might be coming through the door. Little did he know, that nothing could have fully prepared him for what he was about to discover.

Turning the corner to the hallway, Jim pounced round the corner, ninja style. The person tiptoeing down to their room tensed suddenly, stopping in mid step. They spun around, facing Jim, before grasping at their heart breathlessly.

"Dad! You scared me!"

"Maddy?" Jim exclaimed, utterly confused as to why his eldest daughter was up at this hour. "Where have you been?"

"I was... out." she replied awkwardly, not quite meeting his eyes.

"Maddy – who's is that?" Jim said faintly, gesturing to the baggy shirt she was wearing that nearly reached her knees, smelling lightly of cologne. When she didn't answer and shifted nervously under his gaze, Jim gave a firm nod and stormed out the door, gun in hand.

He faintly heard Maddy calling out his name but ignored her, focusing only on the gravel road rapidly being thrown behind him after each step. That Reynolds kid was going to pay for... impurifying his daughter.

"Dad, stop! Wait! Please?" Her voice cut through his anger, making him turn to face her. Maddy was hunched over, panting at the chasing she had done and looking extremely desperate.

"Mark and I..." she began breathlessly, "did not; I repeat did NOT, sleep together last night! Nothing that is any of your concern happened!"

Jim wanted to believe her, he really did, but seeing her there in the button down shirt Mark wore at dinner a few nights ago gave him all the proof he needed to know – Reynolds was a dead man. A guilty dead man.

While Jim stood there contemplating various ways to kill Mark, the man in question walked out of his house, rubbing his eyes and looking between the two in worry.

"Maddy?" he asked cautiously. "What's going on?"

Jim couldn't take it. The whole innocent facade didn't fool him, and it angered him all the more to find that Mark was pretending not to have done anything. So, being the man he was, he decided to let everyone know of his displeasure. Jim sprinted up to Mark and punched him squarely in the jaw, sending the younger man to the floor of his porch.

Maddy rushed up to Mark, kneeling next to him to make sure he was okay and turning to face her father, anger rushing through her eyes.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" she ground out, making Jim flinch at her choice of words. You could tell she was really angry by the way she let her manners slip and used curse words. Just looking at her confirmed his suspicions – she was livid.

"What have I told you? We did not sleep together, Dad!"

"Then what were you doing?" Jim asked in an immature tone.

"Making crafts for the harvest festival! I got my shirt dirty with glue and glitter so he gave me one of his! Nothing happened! Not that it's any of your business, anyway."

Jim suddenly became very aware of the soldiers around them, forced from their beds early because of the noise they had been making. He looked down at his feet awkwardly, shuffling a bit. Deciding not to embarrass himself any further, he power walked home, eyes following him all the way down the path. Maybe his gut wasn't as reliable as he thought.

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><p>Maddy sighed, annoyed with her overbearing father. She made sure that Mark was securely on his feet before running a hand through her hair, not noticing the soldiers around her leaving.<p>

"I'm sorry Mark, my Dad –" she began.

"It's okay, Maddy. Don't worry about it." He replied softly, pulling her closer with an arm around her waist. She snaked her arms around his neck, looking up at him playfully.

"Although," Mark said, "I'm not sure I appreciate being woken this early in the morning after such a late night."

Maddy giggled, blushing slightly at the reference to the night before. Mark had taken her OTG, back to the dayflowers field. They had watched the stars, and then... she had to smile at the memory of it all. It was the perfect night, with the perfect man.

"I can't believe he's that gullible, being a cop and all."

"Yeah, how did you manage that?" Mark enquired.

"You just have to know how to embarrass him. He gets flustered and flees as quickly as possible." She answered, chuckling at her Father's antics. Maddy loved her Dad, but he really could be an overprotective jerk sometimes.

Mark let out a small laugh, saying fondly, "I was right, you may be a bad influence on me, but you're perfect."

She grinned, leaning up to softly brush her lips against his. He kissed her back, but with more depth, and soon their kisses became heated and passionate.

"Careful," Mark said, pulling back slightly. "This was how we started last night." This earned him a playful slap on the arm, before she sat down with him on the hammock. They sat there, nestled into each other, talking, kissing, and enjoying each other's company. As they watched the sun slowly rise higher into the sky, they were reminded of what mattered – that no matter what happened, or what other people else said, they had each other. Even if said people were rampaging overbearing Fathers.

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><p>AN: So, guys, this is my first published fanfiction, so don't be afraid to tell me what you think! Hopefully, you'll be hearing from me soon...

itslittleme


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